They played in the next suburb down the road. I can still remember where I was on the lawn when they began that 2nd set with Help.
The sound and accommodations were great. Saw JGB at the same venue soon after this.
Poplar Creek hosted many great concerts. Unfortunately it is no longer there.
Seeing Dead and Co 39 years to the date tonight in Grand Rapids 2022.

Jerry was still basking in the newness of switching sides of the stage and liked being near Brent.

Their comfort level with the venue was apparent. Everything was relaxed. I remember the helicopter in the lot.
This is when I had only 35-40 shows in me. Help >Slip >Franklins was still very rare.
Great drumming and was right in the beat. The reflected the drugs of the day.

Fast, spirited and focused playing. capn doubledose says it all, simply: show is a “fireball of energy.” Both these Poplar shows were. Awesome, raw energy that's hard to contain. Only downer, this would be the last Chi-area show for the next four years- wouldn’t return until April ‘87.

Both Poplar Creek shows were first rate. There's were my 2nd and 3Rd shows. My first was alpine 82 (dick's picks 32). I think I fell in love ith deAd because my first 3 shows were epic. Both of these shows are worth downloading.

This is one SMOKING show! The boys were all traveling the same wavelength during this show and the energy exchange with the crowd seems almost visible through this great AUD. Props to the taper and the folks involved in the transfer.....ya'll really captured the Experience. Great, Great high energy show.

Make room in your collection for this one!

were there two shows or 3? at any rate, the last show at poplar tore the lid off my brain pan- mildly dosed- wandered around looking for sound sweet spots- they just TORE INTO FRANKLINS AND DID'T LET UP THE WHOLE SECOND SET-- the way i heard sugar mag-- at the time i thought phil turned the jam into the eleven and i swear the energy in the jam of sugar mag-- THE WHOLE PLACE JUST LEVITATED !! a purely subjective observation, but did anybody else feel that energy?

OH MY GOD !?!?!?!???!!!!!!!

These Poplar shows are part of a great year of Dead memories for me. After I started listening to this stream, I remembered something crazy that happened this night.

We had worked our way down in front to a friend's seats and things just started grooving during Sugar Mag(I think) and we were all cutting loose and losing our minds dancing all over. I noticed that my friend Brian had disappeared and then about 2 minutes later, we looked up and HOLY FUCK, Brian was on stage dancing hard pretty close to Jerry. Jerry just sort of looked over his glasses at him and watched to see if he was going to do something more stupid, but just kept playing. We couldn't believe it. He jumped back off the stage before security could grab him and he managed to work his way back to the lawn without getting busted.

I remember asking Brian (who I have lost contact with over the years) what the hell made him do that. He just said that things were just grooving so hard he just felt like getting up to dance on the stage. We were known to go see some punk bands at the Metro and stuff back then and it was more acceptable to get up on stage and dive off, but you just didn't see this kind of stuff at Dead shows.

I'd been touring since City Island, and pulled some long nights between shows. After the first Poplar night some friends took me dancing in Chicago, then back for more Poplar the next day - don't think I'd slept. Overdoing it, I guess, cuz after feeling a little ill and almost getting booted from the show for having difficulty staying on my feet during the first set, I reclined on the grass during intermission and was suddenly struck blind and couldn't move. Help-Slips should have gotten me on my feet, but nothing doing. I heard every note, though, and soaked it in til the end. This recording brings it all back. Pooper Troopers and all.

Poplar creek is near my house in nothern Il. too young to hit this show in 83'. World Theater in Tinley Park is a totally diff. venue. Poplar Creek was in Hoffman Estates in Il. it was one of those oldie but goodie type places.
A really rad smaller out door ampitheater. It was a pretty cool place, could of been like an old Brewers stadium (that has also been knocked down)lots of these places have gone to wayside for bigger but, not nessarily better. I can imagine especially the seen then and can tell by the sound of it, its a barn burner. I bet the whole place was dosed in a retro dead haze with totally laxed security.

I seen Billy Idol here with my friend and his mom back in I think 86 at 14 years old. I remember the venue very well and I can't imagine the Dead rippin through that place.
The 2 shows are pretty hot and were the last stop on the mid~west Summer tour.
I love the first 4 songs, Stranger opener is real good and always love Dire Wolf. Brown Eyed and All Over Now have been favs also Jerry rips some nice solos on Iko.

I was also 16 for my first show here...it was an amazing one!

I thought Jerry must always land in a helicopter fifteen feet away and wave right at the fans.

dude whats up with the lines through all the reviews? this is a jem of a show start to finish thank you! This is a must in your collection

My first show @ 16, I had never heard of the Dead, and didn't know one song, not even Truckin. The Stranger opener and Deal to close the First set rocked. Help/Slip/Franklins>rocked, and the Aiko encore was uneard of back then. They put speaker stacks right on the sidewalk between the lawn and the pavillion so Folks were dancing 2 ft from the stacks while the tweeters and their ears had meltdowns around Phil's bombs and Jerry's spewing melodies. Peace circle during Space, and Jerry even flew into the parking lot in a helicopter, landed, got out, and waved to the encircled crowd/no joke...so this was the Dead...what a sweet 16...too bad I waited until 7/6/84 to see my second show...check out the 7/6/84/Alpine review...it was worth the wait!!! Oh, I don't believe US Blues was part of the set list...it may have come from the show the day before (darn, missed the Scarlet/Fire).

In my mind, '83 is the year Bobby became the driving force. And they're noticeably worse than last year. Jerry's struggling, though still great, but Bobby's making 'em go.

The show's good, but the chinks in the armor show.

Where did this come from and how come more folks have not taken the time to hear this fireball of energy. Tremendous minglewood, stranger, rooster, BEW, NFA. This is a very hot and underrated show.

A great aud(4.5stars) showcasing a fun, well played show. H>S>F a definite highlight. One clerical note: This fits nicely on two discs, if you scrap the 50 sec. crowd noise, leave IkoIko and U.S.B. for the end of second disc, and put H>S>F on the end of the first disc.
P.S. where's the U.S. Blues from? Deadlists Project indicates it was not played.

An incredible short but sweet Iko encore. Jerry's phrasing on this tune is outstanding and voice is strong and direct.

Not bad sound for an AUD

tight version of this triplet....lot of shows from this era butchered the seguays but this one is tight as a drum.

the sound quality is fantastic.

check it out

robert

After chillin' in my spot in the lot watching the car next to me melt I needed a walkabout. Started down towards the shed and quickly stopped because this helicopter was landing right on me it seemed.People gathered so I knew I wasn't TOO high, it finally lands right in front of me and Jerry gets out ,looks right at me and smiled and waved.Too much!Solid show all the way,something about the end of summer east/midwest tours.Alpine,Oxford etc. We ALL came out of this show two inches taller,smiles everywhere. THANKS